Pressure actuated brake mechanism



July 23, 1946, J. G. oE'rzEL A PRESSURE ACTUATED BRAKE MECHNISM Filed Novl e, 1944 2 sheets-smet 1' Ely-f July 23, 1946.

J'. G. og-:TZEL APRESSURE c1-Umm BRAKE MECHANISM Filed Nov. 6, 1944 .2 sheets-sheet 2 a w J @my w W 0 L .wg N z d ,N w m 7 ,mayo ff wf M ma 6 4, 44. 4H W ,9, 56m

Patented 4July 23 1946 voifricl:

PRESSURE ACTUATED BRAKE I a r rIHECHANI George Oetz'el, Beloit, Wis.,

assignor to". I

Warner Electric Brake Manufacturing Comi. pany', South Beloit, Ill., a corporation of IlliV lapplioaiionnovemboro,1944, serial No-56ai1 l" s claims. (C1. 1ss 141) This 'invention relates to a `brake 'mechanism of the internally expandable'type energized in response to Afluid pressure changes.

Oneobject is to providefa brake mechanism ofv thischaracter by which a substantially greater retarding torque is Vvobtainable than in prior mechanisms of the same type.

A more detailed object ,isto augment the uid pressure source applied to a main brake element through the intermediary.V of 'an auxiliary friction elementf I The invention alsore'side's in the novel manner of mounting the-fluid pressure Aactuator so that its-available force maybe' utilized to `best mechanical advantage.V r

Other'objects and advantages or the invention will become apparent'frcm the. following ldetailed description taken in connection With'the accompanyin'gl drawings, in whichv y I 2 l. K j

Figure 1 is an end viewrpartially in section of a brake mechanism embodying the novel features of the present invention, the section being taken along the liner I-I of Fig. 2.k Y I Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

vFigsf'3 and fiarevi'ews similar togFigs. land 2 showing a modiiiedwform o f the invention,.the sections being takenly long the lines 3+3 and 4- 4 of Figs..4 and 3 respectively.

I The brake',m'echanismsfvshown for purposes of illustration are 'adapted for' expansion of their friction .elements into gripping l engagement with thev internal cylindricalsurface r5 of .a drum 6 having an inturned flangelfwhich may be mounted in the usual way n alyehijcle wheel'or other rotary part whose motionlis to be controlled. In this instance, vthedrum andthe vehicle wheel rotate about'a stationary axle 8 projectingaxially through the drum, l 1

The mechanism shownin Figsl and 2 isespecially adapted for the use of air as the actuating iluid.This mechanism` includes a main friction element adaptedfvor .expansion against the zone of tliesurfac'ef5 ne'ar the open end of the drum.

The' element. is rcomposed ofy two semi-circular shoes .,9'covered vwith friction material I0 and arranged in end-to-end relation with their .ends spaced apart on diametrically opposite sides Aof the drum. `The shoes are supportedby an anchor member. in .the .iorincfA a casting Il fastened by" Lbolt's I2 to a flangefli on the axle .fandsub stantiallyclosing the openend :ofmthe drum. Bracketsv I4 Welded to vthe inner sidesof the shoe endsprovide .abutment surfaces I engageable wthLIabutments rI6 on the anchor Amember I I.

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Contractile springsV I.'I stretched between the shoe brackets I4 normally maintain the main friction element contracted with its shoe surfaces I5 engaging the abutments I6 as shown in' Fig. 1, the main brake then being released.

" The main friction element `is expanded against the drum by a' forcel derived infpart from the momentum of the rotating part; This is accomplished through the medium o f an auxiliary friction element engageablein this instance withy the inner end portion of the drum surface 5 and movable bodily with the rotating drum through an angular distance sulicient to expand the main element. In the present instance, the auxiliary element comprises a. pair, of r semi-circular shoes 20 covered with frictioninaterial 2l and arranged in end-to-end relation with their adjacent ends spaced apart and disposed on diametrically opposite sides vof the drum but angularly spaced from the ends of the main shoes 9. The shoes 20 are supported on the peripheral surface 22 of a second anchor member 23 whose hub 24 is journaled on the hub 25 of the rst or non-rotatable anchor member II. Outwardlyiprojecting arms 23a on the second anchor member `23iprovide oppositely facing abutments 26 engageablewith plates 21 on brackets 28 which are secured'along the center line and on the inner Vsurface of the auxiliary shoes 20. Contractile springs 29.'nor. mallymaintain these shoesycontracted against the abutments 26. v-

rwhen the auxiliary friction sho-esilio are'exf panded into vgripping engagement with the rotating drum, the corresponding endswll. anchor on the abutments 26, and the shoes, vtogether with the anchor member 23.-will turn lbodily with the drum in the directionof rotationv of` the latter. This motion of the shiftable anchor is multiplied mechanically and applied to the corresponding ends of the main shoes 9 to-expand`the latter against the drum. For this purpose, crank arms 3I project radially inwardly. from `pivots 32'which extend between spaced portions 33and 34 of the main anchor II and are disposed adjacent the drum surface 5 between the ends of each pair of main shoe ends. At their inner ends, the crank arms 3| have slots 35 receiving pins 36 which project from the Iioating anchor 23. Projecting from opposite sides of the crank arms intermediate the ends thereof are pins 31 which are engageable with the ends 38 of the brackets shoes 9, these bracket endsstraddling the crank. Thus, one shoe end 38 will be moved away from its anchor I6 as the crank 3| is swung from the` brake-released position shownin Fig. 1 tothe I4 on the mainV 1 centers of the cylindersand lead j secured to the hub 24 and communicating through aflexible conduit 44 with a tting45 onthe pri-L i mary anchor A conduit 46 extends'frorn the nected to a pipe 51 Vfor conveying compressed air to the .brakermechanismffrom afsuitable source of supply, i inthe usual' wayby a suitable valve.

are pivotally connectedfto r the long. arms of bell Y medium of the levers 5|, move all four ofthe y position shown in phantom. After normal clearance has been taken up, the shoes 9 engage the drum andare held pressed against the latter so long as the auxiliary friction element remains energized. Upon contraction of thelatter, the springs 'l1 contract themain friction element and length of the actuating strokes In Figs. 1. and 2:,.theoperators' cured as by welding to the exterior of the hub 24 l on the anchor 23 with the axes of the' cylinders `f parallel to each otherf and extending along chordsj I of the drum axially spaced inwardly from the cranks 3|. l Conduits '42" communicate'with the to a fitting latterA fittingthrough the anchor and is Iconthe delivered pressure being regulated Within each cylinder 4| are two pistons 41 con- I' s nected to ,links 48 which projectthrough diaphragms 49 and from opposite Yendsof .the cylin ders. The out'erends of'those links which' prof ject in the same direction from the two cylinders 35 cranks'l which areful'crume'd on pins 52 circum f ferentially spaced apart andprojecting inwardly Vfrom the .floating anchorV 23 and parallel to the drum axis. The bell cranks have short arms 5t* i which project .outwardly and have rounded ends 54 bearing against .the-ends'55 of extensions on the 'brackets 28 o f the auxiliary shoes 20. The

bell cranks are bentj as shown in Fig. 2 to permit of suchoverlapping. y

With the partsdisposed in brake-released posi-Y tion shown and the drum turning clockwise, the brake mechanism'shown in Figs. land 2 operates in thefollowing manner in response to the admission; of pressure uid to they cylinders; 4| i through the conduit 44. Bothv pistons in each cylinder iirst move outwardly, and, through' the shoeends 21 away from the anchor abutments 26. Assoc/rn as the shoes engage the drum surface 5, they shift bodily with the drum'untiltheir lead? ing ends, as determined by the direction of drum rotation, com'eagainst their'anchors 25, whereuponV the Yother shoe ends move farther away from.l their anchors and receive the full actuating I force developed by the respective actuators 4D.

' The reverse action takes place when the brake is' applied with the `drum rotating counterclockwise The friction force resulting from engagement; of the auxiliary shoesv 20 with the drum moves' theseA shoes and their floating anchor 23 in the direction of d-'rum rotation, whereupon 'the pins 35y swing'theV crank arms 3| to the'positionjshown .in phantom in- Fig. 1,Y thereby movingthe'corre sponding ends 38' of the main shoes 9' away from their anchors V||5 so vas to expand the main' friction`V element. Inasmuch as the fluidpr'essure actuators 4|) aremounted on the floating anchor 23kto shift therewith, it is unnecessary for the operators 45 tov takeup the motion incident to', actuation of the main shoes. As aresult, the fluid" actuators may have comparatively short strokes determined by the maximum shoe clearance obtained in service operation between the auxiliary shoes and the drum. When the actuating fluid pressure is relieved, l to brake Areleased position. by: the action of the springs |1 and 29.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification of the improved brake mechanism adapted for actuation hydraulically. In this form, the main and auxiliary friction elements are mounted and interconnectedin the same manner as in the mech- -a-nisnr..rst described, and the various parts are correspondinglynumbered. In this case, however, the cylinders24| of the hydraulic actuators 40 are smaller in diameter vowing to the higher,

pressures that may be employed, and are disposed immediately adjacent the ends of the auxiliary shoes. The pistons 41 are connected through the .links 48 directly to pivot pins v58 on the-,brackets 28. of the. auxiliaryv shoes` 20 so thatY the piston motions are thus applied directly to spreadthel ends of; the auxiliary shoes x20 ,apart against the Yaction of the returnsprings 29'.' which, v'in thisfinst'ance, extend fromthe brackets 28 to points on the floatingyanchor V23. The operation of this form of the brake is identical with that vof. thev first form. described above. ItA willbeapparene from the foregoing that .the

auxiliary 'friction element which is energized-4 by the pressure actuated..devices derivesan actuating force from the momentum of thepartito be braked which force is applied tothe mainshoes and in magnitude is many times that of thelprimarypactuating force. .Bothl-the main and. auxiliary shoes s ,may anchor at .either ...end yso that the full lengths vofall four 'shoes are effective in either direction of drum; rotation.,l Therefore, even thcughthefluidpres'sure is derived by Ymanual effort, apowerfu-l retarding torqueis produced without the'` necessity of employing large mechanical ratios in-.the force transmittingk connections and with dangerv oan. uncontrollable wrapping actionvbeing developed.

.This application is a continuation-impartof my co-pending/ application SerialN'o. 448,251,

I'claim as myinvention; i 1. A brake mechanism having, inl combination two shoes arranged endv toend withtheir pairs of ends spaced apart, an anchor member,

' labutment anchors for said shoe ends carried by said member, twopairs ofbell-,cranks respectively supportedl by circumferentially spaced pivots xed relative to and carried by said anchor member. adjacent said shoe ends, the bell-cranks of each'pair having short arms engaging the ends of onepair of shoes and long arms extending circumferentially in opposite directions, two fluid pressure cylinders stationarily mounted with respect to said anchor member, their Vaxes extend! ing parallel to eachother between saidl pairs of shoe ends, two pistons in each of saidcylinders respectively connected to two of said long. arms, and' pressure fluid supply'means communicating with the interior of said cylinders between V,the pistons Itherein. K

2. A brakemechanism having, in combination, two shoes arrangedl endto end with their pairs member' andy permitting movement jo-f the shoe.

ends circumferentiallyaway from the anchors;

two 'pairs 'of f levers for actuating fthe respective shoe 'ends eachY pivotally supported bysaid'm'emall of vthe parts are returned i ber, the levers of each pair extending circumferentially in opposite directions, two iiuid pressure cylinders stationarily mounted with respect to said member, two pistonsin each of said cylinders, and means connecting the pistons in each cylinder to two levers of the different pairs and actuating the levers unidirectionally in response to a pressure increase.

3. A brake mechanism having, in combination, an expensible friction element having ends spaced apart, a member providing an anchor disposed between said ends, two pivot pins carried by said member providing axes which are fixed relative to the member and are disposed inwardlyr from said ends and circumferentially spaced apart, a bell-crank fulcrumed on one of said pins and having a short arm bearing against one of said ends and a long arm extending across the other of said pins and circumferentially around said drum, a second similar bell-crank fulcrumed on the other of said pins with its short arm bearing against the other of said ends and its long arm extending circumferentially in a direction opposite to that of said first mentioned long arm, two parallel cylinders, and pistons in said cylinders respectively connected to the free ends of said long arms.

4. A brake mechanism having, in combination, an expansible friction element having separable ends, a member providing an anchor disposed between said ends, a bell-crank fulcrumed on said member to turn about an axis which is fixed relative to said member and which is disposed adjacent said shoe ends, said bellcrank having a short arm bearing against one shoe end and a long arm extending circumferentially around said drum, a second similar bellcrank fulcrumed on said member adjacent said shoe ends with its short arm bearing against the other end'and its long arm extending circumferentially in va direction oppositeto that of said first mentioned long arm, twov parallel cylinders fixedly mounted with respect to said member, and pistons in said cylinders respectively connected to the free ends of said long arms.

5. A friction brake mechanism having, in combination, an annular main friction element adapted for expansion of its peripheral surface by circumferential separation of its ends, a nonrotatable member providing an anchor for said element, a ring journaled on said member to turn about the axis of said element, an annular auxiliary radially expansible friction element having separable ends adapted to anchor on said ring, a cylinder rigid with said ring with its axis extending along a chord of said auxiliary friction element, pistons within said cylinder respectively connected to the ends of said auxiliary element to separate the latter upon an increase in the iiuid pressure in said cylinder, and means for introducing pressure fluid in said cylinder between said pistons.

6. A friction brake having, in combination, an anchor member adapted to be Vmounted nonrotatably, a main friction element adapted for ment in either direction .away from a normal l brake-released position, a pair of auxiliary friction elements arranged in end-to-end relation.

and having pairs of separable ends adapted to anchor selectively on said second member, a pair of fluid cylinders rigid with said second anchor member and each having a pair of pistons therein, means connecting said four pistons to the respective ends of said auxiliary friction elements to separate the ends of each pair in response to an increase in the fluid pressure in said cylinders, means for conducting pressure fluid to said cylinders between the pistons therein, and means connecting said second anchor member and said main friction element to expand the latter upon movement of the second member in either direction away from said brakereleased position.

7. A friction brake mechanism having, in combination, an anchor member adapted to be mounted non-rotatably, a main friction element of annular form mounted on said member for radial expansion and to anchor on the member, a second anchor member mounted on said first member to turn about the axis thereof in either direction away from a normal brake-released position, an auxiliary radially expansible friction element of annular form anchored on said second member and supported thereby for bodily angular movement therewith about the axis of said first element, a fluid cylinder rigid with said second anchor member and having a piston therein, means connecting said piston and said auxiliary friction element to expand the latter in response to `an increase in the fluid pressure in said cylinder, and means connecting said second anchor member and said main friction element to expand the latter upon angular movement of the member'in either direction away from said brakereleased position.

8. A friction brake mechanism having, in combination, an anchor member adapted to be mounted non-rotatably, a second anchor member mounted on the first member for angular movement about an axis, a main friction element concentric with said axis and adapted for radial expansionwhile anchored on the member, an auxiliary radiallyexpansible-friction element concentric with said axis and anchored on said second member for bodily angular movement therewith, a fluid pressure operator having a cylinder and mounted on said second anchor member for angular movement therewith,` means connecting said operator with said auxiliary friction element to expand the latter in response to an increase in the fluid pressure in said cylinder, and means connecting said second anchor member and said main friction elementV to expand the latter upon movement of the second memberin either direction away from said brake-released position.

JOHN GEORGE OETZEL. 

